Spreader device



2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Feb. 24, 1959 w.scH1EBE| SPREADER DEVICE Filed June 20.1957 Feb. 24, 1959 W5H.EBEL 2,874,880

. SPREADER DEVICE Filed June 20. 1957 2 Sheets-Sheet'f INVENTOR WILLIAMSCHIEBEL www ATTORNEY.

United States Patent O SPREADER DEVICE william Schieber, EastStroudsburg, Pa. Application June 20, 1957, Serial No.` 666,946 zclaims. (ci. zzz-171)` The present invention relates to a spreaderdevice to be used particularly for even distribution of fertilizer,seeds or the like.

'In the copending application `Serial No. 503,315, tiled April 22, 1955,now Patent: No.' 2,801,772, a lawn spreaderhas been disclosed whereinthe arrangement and disposi` tion of the` parts is such that when theshutter is closed, spring means retain vthe shutter in the closedposition, while when the shutter is opened into any one. of a pluralityof open positions the same spring means retains the shutter in such openposition, the size of the opening being determined by a setting of a camor the like. These spring means are disposed `in the structure`disclosed in said copending application at one end of a rod, to assumethe respective positions for closing and opening the shutter on eitherside of a deadcenter, a principle used before in lawn spreaders, as forinstance shown in U. S. Patent 1,888,821 to Fearn.

`Itis one object ofthe present invention to provide a' simplifiedstructure wherein the spring means are disposed adjacent the hopper ofthe spreader device,1 which spring means operate theshutter in suchmanner to retain the same in its closed` and a plurality of openpositions,` respectively, by passing a deadcenter between saidpositions.

It is another object of the present invention `to provide a spreaderdevice wherein a flange ofthe shutter closing and opening, respectively,4the bottom opening of the hopper has secured "thereto one end of aspring, the other end of the spring being secured to one wall of thehopper, in such manner that the spring retains the shutter in closed anda plurality of open positions, respectively. It is still another objectof the present invention' to provide leg means for the spreader devicewhich leg means `are swingably mounted on the wheel axis and includemeans permitting a shifting of the leg members into alowered operativeposition and a raised inoperative position, respectively. Y

With these and other objects in view which will become r'ce 2 wheels 7which are secured to the axle 6 in such manner that the axle 6 rotatestogether with the wheels 7 upon moving the spreader. The center portionof the axle 6 is preferably of square cross section andmounted on saidportion `of the axle 6 is an agitator 8 crosswise disposed inside of thehopper 1 and made of rubber, plastic or any other` flexible materialwhich has the properties of giving slightly upon applying sutiicientpressure thereto. By this arrangement it is particularlypossibletoremove any particle which may become lodged between the agitator 8 andthe front or rear walls 3 and 4, respectively, of

the hopper 1 due tothe yielding capacity of the material endwalls 2 bymeans of screw bolts 12 or similar means,

serves the purpose to move the spreader during operation thereof.

Ashutter 13l is disposed at, the bottoni of the hopper 1, whichshutter13 is `likewise of part circular shape complementary to lthat ofthe bottom portion of the hopper 1 and extends crosswise on` the outsidethereof and is adapted to assume either a position in which the openingor openings provided in the bottom portion of the hopper 1 are coveredup, constituting theclosing position of the shutter 13, `or `to `assumeany one of a plurality of open positions, the degree of exposing theopenings being dependent upon a cam device to be described later.

The shutter 13 `comprises an `operative part circular portion 14 whichis crosswise disposed below the bottom portion of the hopper 1, aAdownwardly projecting por# tion 15 which is also disposedcrosswisealong the hopper 1, preferably integral with the circular portion 14 andend flange portions 16 provided` at the `ends of the portion 15. Adouble-armed lever 17 `is rotatably mounted upon p the axle `6 andwelded or secured by other suitable means to each of the end llangeportions 161 A helical spring 18 is arranged between the free end of thelever 17 and the front wall 3 of the hopper 1, which spring 18 tendsrtoturn the lever 17, inthe vie'w shown in Fig. `2 of the drawings,counterclockwise, so that the spring 18 tends the shutter 13, therearwardly projecting arm of the angle iron 19 being equipped with anopening 20 which is adapted to receive the lower end of a connecting rod21, the upper end of which is` secured to an operating lever 22 mountedon apivo't'23 `of a projection 24 of the `push bar 9. The connecting'rod 21 may be equipped with j length adjusting means 25 of anyconventional nature apparent in the following |detailed description, thepresent` L means for positioning the size of the spreader opening; i

in order to permit proper original setting of the shutter 13. In orderto move the shutter 13 from its `closed position intoany one of apluralityof open positions the activearrri `26Aof the operating lever 22turns from a position of the operating lever 22 marked A in which theend of the `operating lever j22` engages one of the handle members 10and in which the active arm 26 forms an angle tothe longitudinal axis ofthe connecting `rod 21 Q i 26 of the lever' 22' forms a'gai'n `an angletowards the p longitudinal axis of4 the connecting rod 21. .'It is thusreadily seenv that in order togshiftthe operating lever 22 from ashutter closing position to any one of a plurality of shutter openingpositions, the arm 26 of the lever 22 @Bressa ntxustrpass `through a"dead'e'enter'" whereupon vthesame spring 18 retains the shutter `eitherin its closed position o r in any, one of the open positions. p Y

Aspreviously stated, the; amountv` of 'opening of the shutter isdeterminedb'y the position` of a cam device.

The samecam device disclosed'iin the'copending patent' applicationSerial No.' 503;3'15,V l'ed.April '22,' 1955'is used in therpresentspreader.Y This- -cam device is particularly clearly shown 'in Figs'. '4an`df5'offthe'drawings. The cam devicei comprises a hollow'preferablylrectangular shaped body 27wh'ich is secured to the rear wall 4 of thehopper lby means of 'screw bolts'28'or other suitablemeans., The body,27 has a recess 29"'anda cylindrical'flat member 30'is disposedl'on theouter face ofthe rectangular body 27'A and ^secured'th'ereto by'ascrew'b`o1t131`whic'h is tightened' to, the' body" 27"by means of awingnut'32.v Asecond cylindrical 'dat member '33 is eccentrically'disposed 'inthe cylindrical flat member 30"and"'se'cured 'thereto eitherby. Av small helical to engage its inner 'cylindrical face. Theconnecting roclV leads downwardly and the lower end 'thereof 'isreceived bya second opening 37`provided in 'the angle iron .19"and isthus' connected'with the shutter 132 Since-ithe shutter' 13"in itsopening position tends' 'to move in rearwardfdirection by the-force ofthe spring181and`simultaneously" pushes theconnecti'ng rod 35`intojitsuppermost position;

abutment at the inner cylindrical'fceoffthesecondcylindricaldlat"member` 33j' and,dep`ending", upon the rotary,`

motion' of'the iirst cylindrical 'iat member V30, theabutmentpositi'onfor the connecting rod BS'will'be set at a higher' orlower' pointg're'spectively, duetto the eccentric position-of the second.cylindricaljilat'memb'er` 33`in the first ycylindricaila'tSmember 30.'Upon' operation ofthe handlever-from its. shutter' closing position Aintoy its shutter opening position C, the location of ithe lever 22'.

in the position Clwill. depend upon thesetting of the cam device, thuspermitting a faster'v or slower spreading of the material.V disposed'inthe hopper 1.'

Since it is of'importance to rest the hopper while filled with thespreader material. in upright position, specially designed leg meansarefprovided'fas particularly disclosed in'Figs. l'to 35 These'leg meansare` of 'such' construction that they permit of 'raisingA thevsame intovan upper inoperative'positionl and'lo'wering the same into operativeposition, ,whereby spring means retaintheleg means in eitherposition.Thus, the leg, meansornprise two levers.38.

which are pivoted'upon .the axle'j6 Vand which.may be formed' of twoseparate pieces'whic'zhu are properly connected byscrewbo1ts39ior1thelikc., Across bar 40.co'n. nec'ts the two levers38 Vforjoint swinging uponthe :axle

6 as` axis of rotation. A member 41 of substantially U shaped crosslsection is v turnably, mounted on` the cross bary 40 fand connectedbymeans'ofpivots 42 with thesec ond member 43 ofsub'stantia'lly U-shapedcross section, the

member 43' being of.' narrowerwidth, than. thatof the,

member 41, iso that theformerreceivesthe. lower portion of the latterinrelativelowered positionof the .levers.38',

which' constitute the legmembers. The rear, baseof vthe member 43 hassecured thereto by. weldinggor byother suitable means a handle plate.44, the lower end of which. is .slightly raised and inclinedjrelativetothe remaining portion ofthe handle-.plate'44.'f Theraisedlowerportion, ofthe handle plate .44 is adaptedforshifting thefleg-meansfrorm their: operative lowered.,y position into inoperativeV raisedposition by grippinglwithonefnger said raisedportion rof the handle'plte"44',` to move the "member 43"`and,' thereby also the member 41,from the position shown in full lines in Fig. 3 in the direction of thearrow into the position shown in point-dotted lines in Fig. 3. The lowermember 41 has secured to the innfer face of its base an angle iron 45which is adapted to receive one end of a helical spring 46 to the otherend of which is secured a pivot 47 attached byweldingonthelike to therear wall 4 of the hopper 1, upon which pivot 47v the upper member 43turns; Theitwomemb'ers'41fand 43,-are designed in such manner relative.to each.otherandinprelation to the position ofthe mounting of thespring'46 that 'in order to lift the levers-B58/from.anfoperative;lowered position into their raised inoperativeposition, the spring 46 is stressed slightly before it can bycontraction move the members 41 and 43 and, thereby, the levers 38 intotheir lifted positions.

While I have disclosed one embodiment of the present invention, itis tobe understood'that'this,embodiment is given byexample `onlyand not inalimitingsense, ,the scope ofthe present invention being determined'bythe ob jects andthe claims.

Iclairn:

l; In' a spreader, a hopper having-at least one crosswiseA disposedldischarge `opening, the bottom of'saidhopper being yof :circular crosssection, Aa shutter of 'a cross section complementary to that of'th'ebottom ofsjaid'hopperfand" movable along the outer faceofisaidbottor'n'in` ordern).-

close said discharge openingin onevposition and `to open said 'dischargeopening in a plurality of [other set positions, of said shutter, andcontrol means forsaid shutterl mov` ableon one side of a deadcenterpositiontola iixed.' position holding 'said; covermember',infclosedlpSOIii andmova'ble to the other side vofsaiddead'center toa` plurality of said set open positions-anfaxle extendingthrough'side walls' of "said hopper andhaving wheels at its vrespectiveends secured fthereto,"and "anpagitator 'disposed 'adjacent saiddischarge,y opening and 'mounted on` said axle, so that vsaid, agitatorturns .witl'ifsaid axle-upon,

moving said spreader, a pushl rod vsecuredto said hopper, and saidcontrol means comprising'a control lever pivotalf, ly mounted onk saidpushrrod and rod lmeans connecting said 'control lever withsaid shutter,and a rotaryV cam member and a lever, one end of'saidleverbeingconnected'with' saidshutter and the.V other eudof 'saidlleverengaging said rotary cam, a double-.armedllever pivotally.

mounted onk said axle, one arm of saiddo'uble-armed lever being securedto the end'of said shutter, a helicalvsprng, and 'the other arm of saiddouble-armed lever being,con nected with one end of 'said helicalspring, and the other end of the latter being-connectedwith thecorresponding.S side wall of lsaid hopper, said springs maintainingsaid, leverv 'in continuous cam engaging position, independent,`

from its adjusted position, in each of aL-'pluralityof open. positionsof saidshutter on..oneside,of 'deadcenten as well as in the closedposition fof {said-shutteron `theother. side of dead center'.

2l The spreader, asset forth,A in ,clainrlg ,whereinsaidV push rod hasat least one handle .projecting laterally from its upper end,'andsaidcont'rollever is -pivotedon said push rod forrotary movement in aplane4 substantially perpendicular to said handle, andr thelatterformingan abutment for said control leverin the closedtposition ofsaid shutter.

